HUNGRY GERALD

Happy treat for HG (and family): Annual holiday dinner at Chonquing House on Wickenden Street in Providence. The Chinese restaurant used to be located in a dingy strip mall in Seakonk, MA. (shopping area contiguous to Rhode Island and minutes from the Lesley/Massimo home). It has since moved to larger premises on a Providence street of restaurants and retailers. The food remains delicious. There’s a tendency to over order. This is what the table of six (HG/BSK; L & M; glorious granddaughters Arianna and Sofia–all hungry) ate with gusto. To start: Wontons in chili oil; fried pork dumplings. Seafood: Sliced steamed fish in wine sauce; large crisp-fried pepper and salt shrimp. Meat: Cumin lamb; stewed pork belly with chestnuts. Vegetables: Marinated wood flower mushrooms; peashoots; eggplant in garlic sauce; home-style tofu with vegetables. All accompanied by bowls of white rice. To drink: Tavel (HG’s favorite wine); Pinto Grigio; beer. Over order? Nothing left but a few scraps for a modest future Arianna lunch.

As noted in previous post, Gifted Daughter Lesley R. touted the frozen sea scallops bought at the Providence Farmers Market as “best ever.” As always, she was right. Dinner featured linguine with scallops, chopped tomato, garlic, parsley and herbs. A sublime pasta dish. The linguine was cooked to the perfect al dente point (probably too soft for Lesley’s Italian husband, Massimo R., who likes pasta that, in HG’s opinion, tastes like shredded plywood). The exemplary scallops were enhanced by their gentle saute in superior olive oil from Italy. HG, a lover of spicy heat, added a generous dusting of red pepper flakes. The big surprise of the meal was the cheese course. The feature was Pretty Penny cheese from Sweet & Salty Farm, a local Rhode Island operation. How to describe it? Edible rind. Soft, but not oozing. Taste was a blend of ripe brie and camembert with a bit of pont l’eveque or gorgonzola dolce tossed in for flavor. This was bought at the Farmers Market also. It’s HG’s favorite cheese now. HG finished remaining red wine with a slice of Moore’s Brandy Fruit Cake from England. Yes, there are folks who sneer at fruit cake. Obviously, they’ve been eating the wrong kind of fruit cake.

Dear readers, go to hungrygerald.com archive (Dec. 30, 2018) and see HG’s appreciation of “The Ultimate Christmas Dinner”). This fabulous, sumptuous feast was repeated, step by glorious step, last night. Once more, it brought an Italian glory–osso bucco and saffron risotto–home to Rhode Island for a joyous family dinner. There were minor differences. This time, marrow was scooped from the veal bones and added to the lushness of the risotto. The flan got a topping of whipped cream (much to HG’s delight). Instead of Irish whiskey, HG’s finale was a glass of grapefruit limoncello from Rhode Island Distillery (a distiller of first rate vodka). And, yes, Massimo R.’s selection of Barolo and Barbaresco underlined the pleasures of the food and the company.

Christmas Eve. Following the tradition of many years, the meal on this auspicious night consisted of a variety of smoked fish, red salmon caviar, schmaltz herring with pickled onions, chopped liver. Plus bagels (of course), scallion and plain cream cheese; sliced onions, lemon wedges, salads, etc. Sounds Jewish. But, appropriate since Jesus was Jewish. The fish were: Nova Scotia smoked salmon, sable, sturgeon, whitefish salad, herring, caviar. Six fishes, not the obligatory seven as served in Italian homes. Everything was super delicious. Gifted Daughter Lesley R. made perfect blini and crepes for the first course of caviar. A warm Lesley blini (from a recipe by filmmaker Roger Sherman) topped with caviar plus sour cream and accompanied by a generous pour of champagne by Massimo R., is HG’s peek into heaven. The fish and caviar were ordered from Zabar’s, not Russ & Daughters. No discernible difference.

Blinis with red caviar and sour cream

Sunny and chilly day in Providence. Lots of folks out. Happy holiday sprits. Lesley R. and HG/BSK were off to the Saturday Farmers Market which occupies spacious ground floor venues in a refurbished loft building complex. Fresh vegetables and fruit. Superior beef, lamb, pork, chicken, sausages. Every variety of jarred pickles and hot sauces. Quality cheeses. Breads, pastries, syrups, honey. Chocolate, toffee. Prepared Middle Eastern food. Hot soups and bowls of exotic stews (cozy dining nooks throughout the market). Fish counter with squid, oysters and clams. Lesley R. picked out many good things for holiday family meals. Among them were sea scallops harvested and frozen in the most natural way. (Lesley is going to serve them with a dinner pasta and HG is looking forward). After the market, the trio visited the venerable Providence Arts Club. Brilliant (and beautiful) granddaughter, Arianna R., is on the staff of the Club (the manager assured the trio that Ms. A. is doing very good work and her colleagues are very fond of her). The Club is deceptive. At first glance, it seems to consist of one Tudor style building. The reality is the club consists of four (maybe five) buildings joined together and containing a warren of exhibition spaces, studios, lecture halls, classrooms and more. There’s a cafe and a very impressive bar in an antique setting of big, comfy well-worn leather sofas and chairs. Big Chinese rug. Massive oak chest as a coffee table. Fireplace and wood-paneled walls. (HG hopes to get back there someday and make a dent in the vodka supply). Though the atmosphere and furnishings of the club are antique (much of the art on walls is a century or more old) the Club exudes artistic vitality and creativity. The Market and Club explorations made the trio hungry. So, there was a visit to Hemenway’s Restaurant for superb Rhody oysters, clear Rhody clam chowder (the best), superior bread and butter plus a few glasses of wine. A perfect midday meal.

That’s what they call Rhode Island, that magical small state where HG’s beloved Gifted Daughter Lesley R., her brilliant husband, Profesore Massimo R. and equally brilliant granddaughter Arianna (lookalike Italian movie star) all live. Fabulous granddaughter Sofia lives and works in New York but will be in Rhody for holiday delights. Cuisine emphasis has been on the fruits of the sea. Tony’s Seafood is a treasure. For last night’s feast, Tony’s provided super Atlantic cod, Rhody clams (world’s best), exemplary snail salad, sublime smoked bluefish (even better than the Nantucket version). The salad and bluefish were the preludes and the main was Lesley’s superb codfish, clam broth, clams, potato, onion, garlic, herb stew. Oceanic delight. HG preceded this wonder with an ample vodka/Aperol cocktail and drank much Argentine cabernet with the main and the following cheese platter. Joy.

Too often Thai food in the USA consists of dishes that either numb your mouth, leaving a dizzy head or sweet, mushy noodles in a gloppy sauce. ( Pad Thai is often the culprit. When done well, it is a master class in contrasting textures and flavors; unfortunately in our faltering democracy the dish is often just cloying) So, imagine the surprises HG/BSK faced at Maenam, a beautifully designed, very innovative Thai restaurant on Fourth Avenue in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver. Dinner was a reunion with HG/BSK’s pal of some 20 years, Jamie S.. He’s a Van native and a splendid foodie companion. Haven’t seen Jamie for a few years so there was catching up. Some good news and some grim. Jamie did the ordering. Crispy corn salad. Roasted chicken salad with toasted rice powder and fried shallots. Grilled Thai sausage with crispy rice. Eight spice fish caramelized with tamarind and palm sugar. BSK drank chilled rose. Jamie and HG drank Bamboo Hustles, potent gin-based cocktails. Dessert maintained delicious creativity. Coconut cream over sliced coconut and coconut ice cream. Fitting climax to a dinner of unusually spiced, light, tantalizing dishes. HG/BSK never tasted Thai food like this. A revelation.

Yes, cod is a very versatile fish. Tasty when fried, roasted, steamed. Wonderful as an ingredient in chowders, brandades and a host of other savory treats. There’s fresh cod and dried cod (“baccala”). HG prefers fresh with the exception, sometimes, in brandade. Cod is important in history. “Baccala” allowed for long sailing journeys as ship crews now had a reliable source of protein that would not spoil. Cod liver oil, despite little HG disliking the spoonful he was fed each morning by HG’s late Mom, was a significant nutritional supplement. One of HG’s favorite cod dishes is baked cod done in basque or Provencal style. BSK made the dish a night ago and it brought warmth to a cold, rainy, windy Prince Edward Island day. Happily, BSK saved a half pound of the fresh cod for crisp and juicy fishcakes last night. BSK constructs them with the right balance of fish, PEI potatoes, panko, etc. Here’s how she does it. Poaches cod in white wine and clam broth. Boils potatoes. Removes spuds when done. Retains fish broth. Mixes potatoes (crushed) with chopped onions, a bit of garlic, Spanish pimenton, dill, and parsley. Moistens with broth and adds flaked fish. Crunches it all together with a beaten egg and broth. Forms mix into thick patties and rolls them in panko. Into a pan of sizzling canola oil. Result is crisp, juicy wonders. The accompaniments were chopped salad (turnips, radishes, fennel, scallions); the last of BSK’s home grown cherry tomatoes to be dipped into sea salt. And, best of all, Prince Edward Island mustard pickles. Pure, organic and one the best condiments in the world.

All have left (Victoria Freeman, SJ plus Haru and Teru). Quiet and serene. It’s a second honeymoon. Long walks on Maclaren beach. Watching white caps on the windy Prince Edward Sea. Pleasant candlelit dining. Fried hake. Sweet corn. Digby Bay scallops on fresh greens. Newfoundland shrimp salad appetizer (for HG and not, alas, for allergic BSK). Tonight there will be a Portuguese dish of baked haddock with potatoes from Ocean Mist Farm, onions, capers, garlic, pimenton, and herbs. Today (a bit chilly and windy), HG made a corn casserole using Cope’s dried corn and leftover corn from last night’s dinner. Should be perfect for breakfast with a splash of Canadian maple syrup. Yes, life as a duet is delightful. However, HG/BSK are a bit wistful when thinking about the long absences from family.

BSK and SJ form a mighty culinary team. HG benefits happily from their skills and creativity. Dinner last night started with Red Head Select oysters shucked expertly by SJ. These oysters (HG’s favorites), like Johnny Flynn’s Colville Bays, have green-tinged shells. They are plump, briny, delicious. This was followed by an appetizer teaser. SJ cut thin vertical slices of young zucchini (from BSK’s garden). Dipped them in a simple batter and gave them a quick fry. Wow.!! Then BSK took over. Sauteed a pound of Digby Bay sea scallops. Don’t know BSK’s timing secret. But, BSK scallops always hit the peak of tender juiciness. The scallops got a hit of lemon juice and were the preface to the main dish that expressed BSK’s creativity. BSK made an unusual pesto. The ingredients: Garlic scapes, fresh garlic, walnuts, flat-leaf parsley, olive oil, feta cheese, parmesan. Linguine was cooked to al dente perfection. The pesto and pasta created one of the most creamy, fragrant, lush dishes in HG’s long history of pasta eating. Viva BSK!! Dramatic sunset. Ice cream dessert. Climax to a day of beach sun and swimming. That’s life on Prince Edward Island.